Which Breast Lumps Should Women Worry About
Breast lumps are frightening, but fairly common. And while you already know that a lump could potentially signal breast cancer, you’ve probably also heard that most lumps are noncancerous, or benign.
So how can you tell if a breast lump needs to be checked out by a doctor?
“All breast lumps need to be evaluated by a physician, regardless of your age or where in your breast you feel the lump,” says Dr. Joshi. “More often than not, breast lumps are harmless. But, any lump could potentially be breast cancer, and it’s impossible for a woman to determine whether her lump is cancerous or benign just by feeling it.”
That being said, Dr. Joshi says that there are some features that make a lump particularly concerning, including:
- Changes in the skin over the lump
- Nipple changes, including enlargement or bloody discharge
- Changes in the size of the lump
“Additionally, having a family history of breast cancer makes it more likely that a lump could be cancerous,” warns Dr. Joshi.
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What If The Lump Feels Like A Ridge What If I Have A Pea
You should have a familiarity with your body and what the breast normally feels like, including its normal shape, appearance, and texture. Generally, women are advised to analyze their breasts in the shower with soapy fingers to get a nice feel of the normal tissues. If you do that and have some familiarity with your normal breast tissue, and then find something different, you should reach out to your medical team.
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How To Tell If A Lump Might Be Cancerous
How they feel Hard, and they don’t hurt or move. You would find one in the lower half of the neck.
Why they pop up The cause of thyroid nodules is not known. After verifying that yours is benign, your M.D. might simply monitor you. If you have additional thyroid symptoms, however, treating the underlying disorder with medication or with radioactive iodine can shrink the lump.
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How they feel Like a soft grape. They are often tender to the touch. These fluid-filled sacs are common in breasts and the genital area.
Why they pop up Breast cysts tend to wax and wane with your cycle if you have one that persists longer than a month, request an ultrasound or a fine-needle aspiration. Should you find a soft genital bump, it’s likely that a blocked oil duct has caused an epidermoid cyst, says Anita Shivadas, M.D., an internist at the Cleveland Clinic. If it is sensitive, apply warm, moist compresses and antibiotic cream. No pain? Leave it alone.
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How they feel Like a squishy ball of tissue that moves easily. These fat deposits show up mostly on the legs, trunk and arms, explains Eileen S. Moore, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Why they pop up Lipomas tend to run in families. Unless they are painful or impinge on a nerve or blood vessel, your M.D. can keep an eye on them otherwise, they can be surgically removed.
Signs Of Cancerous Masses
Cancerous masses in the breast are often very firm, like a rock. They have an irregular shape and size. They can be mobile but are often fixed, meaning they feel like they are attached to the skin or nearby tissue. You can’t really move them around by pushing on them. They’re also not likely to be painful, though they can be in some cases.
On exam, other changes may be present as well. These changes may include:
- Dimpling of the skin, with a texture like orange peel
- Nipple retraction, where the nipple turns inward instead of outward
- Enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit
One type of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, does not usually cause a lump. Instead, you may see redness, swelling, and sometimes a rash on the skin of the breast.
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Lump In Breast Before Period During Pregnancy Or Breastfeeding
Usually, breast lumps that occur before or during period are breast cysts. They are triggered by hormonal changes related to the menstrual cycle.
Lumps due to clogged milk ducts are very common among women during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. By this time, the breasts are undergoing changes for milk production after birth.
On the other hand, breast lumps that occur during breastfeeding are generally related to infections. Breastfeeding may irritate the nipples, areola and the surrounding area. As a result, bacteria may enter the breast through the tiny skin breaks or cracks due to the irritation.
Myth : If A Breast Lump Is Movable Its Not Cancer
Actually, breast cancers almost always begin in a movable state, Dr. Pederson says. Its not until they grow larger that they attach to something and stop moving.
You should tell your doctor about any lump you feel in your breast.
When doing a self-exam, feel around your breasts for something hard that doesnt belong there, Dr. Pederson says. It may feel like a frozen pea or lima bean, or be smooth and very firm, like a marble.
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Diagnosis Of Phyllodes Tumors
Like other less common types of breast tumors, phyllodes tumors can be difficult to diagnose because doctors dont encounter them all that often. A phyllodes tumor also can look like a more common type of benign breast growth called a fibroadenoma. A fibroadenoma is a solid, growing lump of normal breast cells that is the most common kind of breast mass, especially in younger women.
Two key differences between fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumors are that phyllodes tumors tend to grow more quickly and develop about 10 years later in life in the 40s as opposed to the 30s. These differences can help doctors distinguish phyllodes tumors from fibroadenomas.
Diagnosing phyllodes tumors usually involves a combination of steps:
Some experts believe it is better to use excisional biopsy if a phyllodes tumor is suspected. Examining the whole tumor is often necessary to make the right diagnosis. The smaller tissue samples taken during core needle biopsy may not be enough to confirm that a lump is a phyllodes tumor.
A pathologist then examines the tumor tissue under a microscope to make the diagnosis. He or she also classifies the phyllodes tumor as benign, borderline, or malignant. In a benign tumor:
- the edges are well-defined
- the cells are not dividing rapidly
- the stromal cells still look somewhat like normal cells
- there is not an overgrowth of stromal cells there are epithelial cells as well
In a malignant tumor:
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Are Malignant Breast Lumps Usually Movable
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What Is Sclerosing Adenosis
Sclerosing adenosis is excess growth of tissues in the breast’s lobules. This often causes breast pain. While these changes in the breast tissue are very small, they may show up on mammograms as calcifications and can make lumps. Usually a biopsy is needed to rule out cancer. In addition, because the condition can be mistaken for cancer, the lumps are usually removed through surgical biopsy.
Breast Lumps: Why Size Movability And Pain Matter
Your breasts are made up of fat, nerves, blood vessels, fibrous connective tissue, and glandular tissue, as well as an intricate system of milk-producing lobules , and ducts . This anatomy in and of itself creates a lumpy, uneven terrain.
A lump in the breast distinguishes itself from this background of normal irregularities. Harmless breast lumps can be solid and unmovable, like a dried bean or movable, soft, and fluid-filled you can roll it between your fingers like a grape. A lump may be pea-size, smaller than a pea, or even several inches across, although this larger size is rare.
What typically differentiates a benign breast lump from a cancerous breast lump is movement. That is, a fluid-filled lump that rolls between the fingers is less likely to be cancerous than a hard lump in your breast that feels rooted in place.
Another rule of thumb has to do with pain. Breast cancer does not usually cause pain. Benign conditions sometimes do, although there are exceptions to this rule as well. For instance, a rare form of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer, may cause symptoms such as aching, tenderness, pain, or burning in the breast.
The only way to know the status of a lump for sure is through medical tests, such as an ultrasound, a mammogram, or a fine needle aspiration , in which your doctor uses a tiny needle to extract a bit of the lump for laboratory examination.
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How To Cyst In Breast And Removal
A breast cyst is an accumulation of fluid within the breast which might result into breast lump that can make an individual feel uncomfortable.it is essential to consult a specialist in the health care provider in case there is appearance of lumps on the breast as result of cyst as soon as possible.To minimize discomfort associated with breast cysts, the following are home remedies or measures that should be put in practices:
Moveable Tender Lump In Breast
Hi all,
I haven’t been good at breast checks but yesterday decided it was time to feel properly and sure enough found a lump in my left breast. It is my biggest fear and I’m terrified- I have 2 small kids and I can’t contemplate being seriously ill.
The lump is moveable and tender ro touch. I just saw my GP about it who said he’s not massively worried but can’t give me answers and had to refer me for a mammogram to rule out anything serious.
Its silly me saying don’t worry because you will but if your GPwho knows what these lumps feels like is not overly worried I am sure it’s fine. Chin up x
Hi Michela,
A very warm welcome to our forum.
I am sorry to hear that you have found a lump in your breast. Try to take heart that your GP wasn’t overly worried. Not all lumps are cancerous. Many people have benign cysts or fibrous changes. It is also a good sign that your lump is moveable. The cancerous ones tend to be firmly fixed and jaggy at the edges. It is also unusual to have pain asociated with breast cancer.
It is reassuring that your GP has referred you for a mammogram to rule out anything serious, He is obviously being thorough and that is what you need at a time like this. We all go into panic mode at the mention of cancer and all the waiting is torture.
I sincerely hope that nothing untoward is found when you have your mammogram.
Please keep in touch and let us know when you’re due to get your mammogram and, how you get on. We are always here for you.
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What Should You Do If You Feel A Breast Lump
Dr. Joshi says your first action after feeling a breast lump should be to schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor.
Your doctor will look for a variety of features and characteristics in order to answer questions such as:
- How large is the lump?
- Does the lump move and slip under the fingers, or is it attached to the skin?
- Is the lump painless or painful?
- Is the lump accompanied by red, itchy or inflamed skin?
- Is the lump affecting the nipple, causing inversion or discharge?
- Is the lump changing in size?
- Does the lump become more painful or change in size around your period?
- Is there more than on lump?
- Are there lumps in both breasts?
“Based on the physical and clinical characteristics of the lump, your doctor may or may not recommend follow-up tests to more thoroughly evaluate the mass, such as a diagnostic mammogram or biopsy,” explains Dr. Joshi.
How Are Breast Calcifications Detected
Calcifications are a common find on a mammogram, with increasing prevalence after the age of 50. There are a variety of causes for calcifications, including:
- Aging
- Infection
- Inflammation
Calcifications, unlike lumps, cannot be detected using touch. They can only be found using mammography or, rarely, ultrasounds.
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What Is The Treatment For Breast Cysts
Treatment for breast cysts depends on whether the cyst is simple or complicated/complex.
Treatment for simple cysts is not needed unless the cyst is large, inflamed, infected, or painful. In that case, the cyst is drained with a fine needle.
For complicated or complex cysts, fine needle aspiration may be needed to drain it and examine the fluid inside. If the doctor feels the cyst has features suggesting it could be breast cancer, a biopsy may be indicated to make sure any solid parts inside the cyst are benign. An excisional biopsy may be performed to remove the cyst for examination.
Movable Lump In Breast
Finding a breast lump can be terrifying. Breast lumps are noticeably separate from the normal tissue in your breast area. They affect both men and women, but happen more often in women. While not all lumps in the breast are related to breast cancer, some could be. There are many different causes of breast lump like fibrocystic breasts, mastitis , fibroadenoma, and breast trauma. Any breast lumps need to be checked by your doctor.
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Are Breast Lumps Serious
The severity of your breast lump will ultimately be determined by the cause.
- Not serious: All breasts have some degree of lumpiness and fibrous tissue in them, which is normal.
- Possibly serious: Any unexplained lump is more concerning, though most turn out to be benign.
- More serious: Painless lumps that appear only on one breast, or in or near one armpit, should be investigated further.
The Importance Of Screening
Regularly checking for a breast cancer lump or other change is easy and can potentially alert you to a problem. But most tumors cannot be felt, especially in early stages. Thats why sticking to a regular breast cancer screening schedule is so important.
Ask your doctor when you should begin screening and how often. Continue to watch for changes between appointments.
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On Your Ear Lip Chest Or Anywhere Else Thats Exposed To The Sun
Feels like: A small, pearly bump that resembles a mole or pimple.Could be: Basal cell carcinoma, a slow-growing skin cancer caused by sun exposure.Possible treatment: You’ll likely be referred to a dermatologist for a biopsy, in which the doctor will take a small sample of the skin and send it to a lab for evaluation. Treatment will depend on the size and location of the carcinoma and might include surgery, radiation therapy and/or medication.
Change In Size Shape Or Feel Of Your Breast
A cancer might cause your breast to look bigger or have a different shape than usual, it might feel different.
Many healthy women find that their breasts feel lumpy and tender just before their period.
It can help to be breast aware. This means getting to know the size, shape and feel of your breasts.
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